The end is in sight for a couple of summer construction projects here in Two Rivers — and a couple more projects will be gearing up shortly.

Fourteenth Street between Hawthorne and Madison streets, a “war zone” for the past few months, is just about ready for resurfacing. WisDOT funded most of the street costs for reconstructing this quarter-mile segment of Wisconsin 310. The city was responsible for the cost of replacing aged water and sewer and sewer mains beneath the street, at a cost of about $620,000.

The utility work in this relatively small area was important not just for the immediate neighborhood, but the entire city.

Especially in the case of the sanitary sewer. The sewer main beneath 14th Street is a 27-inch diameter interceptor, originally installed in the 1930s. It carries about two-thirds of the city’s sewer flow, headed down the “home stretch” to the wastewater treatment plant. Recent video inspections showed this concrete to have broken and offset joints, which were allowing groundwater infiltration and undermining some areas of pavement.

While the quarter-mile section west of Madison is now replaced, the city still needs to replace another 530 feet of this major sewer main, beneath the Madison Street intersection, continuing east past the dead end of 14th Street into the parking lot of the old Eggers plant.

That $300,000 project just got underway this week. It is starting at the “downhill” (east) end of the pipe will work back to the Madison/14th intersection. When the project reaches Madison Street, in a week or two, it will require complete closure of that intersection, for up to two weeks.

While that intersection is torn up, Madison Street traffic will be detoured to Washington Street, creating a bit of congestion downtown. (The Madison/Monroe street corridor, from Memorial Drive to 22nd Street, handles about 11,000 vehicles per day, compared to 10,000 per day on Washington Street.)

Watch for more information on this intersection work as we get closer to the closure date.

Hawthorne Avenue from 14th to Columbus streets also is being upgraded as part of the 310 project. This section, however, involves only a simple “mill and repave” of the asphalt surface. Work should begin by Labor Day and be completed by mid-September.

In the meantime, a $120,000 water main replacement project on 18th and School streets is mostly wrapped up, with concrete street restoration being completed this week. This project replaced old mains and lead water service laterals in a three-block area near Metalware. It also connected two dead-end main segments, improving water service and fire flows in that area.

Upcoming yet this fall will be construction of a new block of Lake Street, connecting Madison and Monroe streets. This street extension will serve the new Bank First National facility, and will improve traffic circulation in the neighborhood. Sidewalk will be included along the south side of the street, and will be extended north along Monroe and Madison to connect to existing sidewalk.

Bids for this approximately $160,000 project will be opened on Sept. 10 and presented to City Council on Sept. 15.

Gas Leak: Thanks to all responders

A major gas leak in the area of Columbus and 18th streets, in the early morning darkness on Monday, made for several tense hours.

Calls about a strong natural gas smell and a loud hissing noise started coming into the county’s emergency dispatch center around 1 a.m.

Police responded immediately, and confirmed the citizen calls. Within 15 minutes, the fire department was on location, with a engine and an ambulance. Evacuation of area residences, 14 in all, was commenced. Within 35 minutes, WPS crews had arrived.

Shortly thereafter, city electric crews were called to turn off power to homes and businesses in the area. They were on the scene within 28 minutes.

Fortunately, prompt action by all of these emergency responders got the situation quickly under control, with no injuries or property damage.

There were 10 firefighter/paramedics, including three paid on call staff, at the scene. In the meantime, the station was covered by three regular firefighter/paramedics and Chief Scott Schneider (all called in from off-duty). That’s 14 fire personnel involved in the response, even though only four were on duty when the call came in.

Six police personnel were involved in covering the incident, with some overtime incurred. And two electric line workers were called in to de-energize the area.

Throughout the incident, about 70 separate communications — calls from the public, to and from various responding entities, and to and from the emergency personnel in the field — were handled by the county dispatch center.

Together with the responding crews from WPS, these city and county emergency response personnel kept the area safe while the problem was identified and corrected. Everyone had cleared the scene by 7:00 AM.

Thanks to all of those involved in this prompt, professional response to a very scary situation.

Another day’s work, serving our community.

Two Rivers City Manager Greg Buckley may be reached by calling (920) 793-5532 or by emailing gbuckley@two-rivers.org.